How strong are the public high schools in Charlotte?
With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com, which incorporates comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews to help you choose the right school, to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year, as well as those that top the city's best public high school rankings.
Cochrane Collegiate Academy's overall rating improved the most among its peers in Charlotte, rising from a C to a C+, according to data from Niche.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 6200 Starhaven Drive, enrolls 795 students. Cochrane Collegiate Academy serves a diverse population: 48% of students identify as black and 45% identify as Hispanic. Niche gave the school mixed grades: C on an A-D scale for academics, C+ for administration and C- for clubs and activities.
The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.
Academically, 21% of Cochrane Collegiate Academy's students scored proficient or above in math, and 23% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 46% in math and 50% in reading. The school's improved rating is notable since it serves a less-affluent population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 43% more than the city average.
It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Hawthorne Academy of Health Science saw its overall rating increase from a B to a B+. The school is located at 1411 Hawthorne Lane and is much smaller, currently serving 179 students, of whom 58% identify as black, 24% identify as Hispanic and 12% identify as white.
Niche gave Hawthorne Academy of Health Science mixed grades: B+ on an A-D scale for academics, C for administration and C for clubs and activities. Its latest math proficiency was 65%, and reading proficiency was 75%. Hawthorne Academy of Health Science also serves a less-affluent population, with 58% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
While some public high schools are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:
- Myers Park High School, with an overall rating of A+.
- Ardrey Kell High School, with an A+ rating overall.
- South Mecklenburg High School, rated A overall.
This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.
